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Everyone I know has the flu. It’s a bit miserable.
We seem to have arrived at the “hunker down for a couple more weeks, spring is nearly here” part of the year. Everyone is planning for things to start again.
This is true of the Tauranga Jazz Society, which had its AGM last week and where big changes are mooted for Easter’s annual festival, following the resignation of festival manager Marc Anderson after six years in charge.
To say Anderson is a festival veteran isn’t an exaggeration. He first experienced it as a drummer from Whakatāne High School, playing in the youth band competitions in 1982 under the guidance of inspirational teacher Tom Baylis.
Marc Anderson.
It was something that stayed with him as he lived and worked overseas. On his return from the UK, he became involved, first as production manager in 2017, then festival manager in 2020.
A shepherd
He’s shepherded the festival through difficult times. There was the Covid-led shift one year from Easter to Matariki, then in 2025 his team’s biggest challenge, one he was rightly proud of: moving an essentially outdoor festival indoors in the face of a weather bomb without cancelling a performance.
I watched that in action, and it made my jaw drop. It was an incredible feat of calm, precise organisation. In keeping with his local outlook, the concerts Anderson looks back on most fondly are ones that allowed musicians to realise special projects, whether it be reuniting drummer Stan Bicknell’s group New Caledonia or offering a platform to the likes of Laughton Kora’s Black Comet or Tauranga’s Kokomo.
Anderson remains busy. He manages the Garden & Art Festival and organises the regular Band & Deliver youth concerts. As a drummer, he’s just finished a successful series of Adele shows with his wife, singer Caitriona Fallon.
Meanwhile, the jazz festival’s future is a work in progress with the Jazz Society Committee taking over with support from short-term contractors.
Finally, a gig. I’ve avoided mentioning it for two reasons: Firstly, it’s ages away. Secondly, I assumed it would immediately sell out. With tickets available, let me tempt fate ...
One gig!
A Tauranga/Waikato institution, The Torch Songs Band began with Liam Ryan, piano, and Carol Storey, vocals, growing in the early 2000s to a 6-piece which played jazz and arts festivals across Aotearoa.
Running the gamut from the titular torch songs to wild Latin guitar extravaganzas, their concerts were always a blast, showcasing not only the band’s virtuoso musicianship but also a palpable personal camaraderie.
Now, after 35 years, Storey and Ryan, guitarist Dave Maybee, trumpeter Grant Mason, bass player Wayne Melville and drummer Neil Reynolds will play one final show together. It’s on October 18 and should be in a stadium. But it’s at The Jam Factory, so only 50 lucky people get tickets.
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